The other VLA up there there is the Airbus A380 Superjumbo, which burns more fuel but has more seats. The test will be when you fill up both with maximum passengers and then fly a certain distance and then figure the fuel burn per passenger.

The A380 is a new plane but it’s kind of stubby and its engines are older than those on the freshened 747. Probably the A380 will win the mpg battle, but only by a few percentage points. And both manufacturers (but especially Airbus) might end up losing money on these programs. Oh well.

Boeing Co. voiced great confidence on Tuesday about winning back longtime girlfriend Becky from European archrival Lars. Boeing told friends he was “as confident as I can be” that “everybody” would find fault with Becky’s choice of the handsome German-French exchange student as her new steady.

On March 10, Chicago-based Boeing said in emotional letter to Becky’s mom that the romantic competition had been skewed against him. In an edited summary of his 3000-word email provided to reporters on Tuesday, Boeing said Lars was a much riskier choice than the tried-and-true Boeing.

In picking Lars, Becky misused her own selection criteria, disregarded Boeing’s dancing skills and breached the rules of romance, Boeing told as many Becky’s classmates as he could find during lunch period.

The result was a relationship “that is fundamentally unfair not only to Boeing, but Becky herself,” the protest summary said.

Despite his stated confidence in reversing the outcome, Boeing, in an email chat with classmates, said he faced an “uphill battle” to persuade Becky’s close friends, who have until P.E to make a recommendation to Becky.

“I think the best I can hope for is another shot” at the competition, he said, referring to a possible re-run of all or part of the love triangle to correct alleged flaws in Becky’s selection process.